NH Youth Deer Hunting -- success!
 

NH just had another Youth Deer Hunting weekend, I have been taking my oldest for 3 years, this was number 2 for my younger one.

they both had alot of close calls. I hunted with Kevin, my 12 year old, my bowhunting partner Mike took Chris, my 14 year old.

Morning went with Kevin getting blown at for the first time from probably 20ish yards, and after dissmissing leave crunches behind us for chipmunks he got up to pee and learned that it was a deer as it bounded off :( Oh well.

We met up with Chris after the morning hunt and Mike was just smiling and shaking his head. Seems they had a nice buck come up the hill to them, to Mike's back and Chris's left shoulder. Chris leaned over and said "Mike there's a buck here, what do I do?" the answer, "shoot it". Well after not hearing "boom" and listening to the buck walk around Mike glanced over his right shoulder around the tree and fainted. A NICE buck was standing broadside at 25 yards looking away, it doesn't get any better than that! He looked the other way to see why Chris isn't shooting and all he sees is Chris trying to lay down to shoot prone. [8D] Well Mr. Buck doesn't put up with that much movement and bounds off. Chris has no idea why he was trying that, he's never shot a gun prone. Oh well, the wonders of Youth weekend and first deer!

We give Chris the good natured ribbing all through mid-day, I tell him when we head in for the afternoon: "You know, I wanted you to get the shot today cause Kevin got the turkey on Youth Turkey weekend, but well... you had your chance, with your family you are gonna hear about this BIG time on Christmas with all the hunting uncles, cousins and grandparents, the only way to escape it is to actually shoot one this afternoon"

Off we go, me and kevin setup watching a trail crossing a stream, Chris and Mike take off further up the draw. About 4:15 I see a deer making its way down the hill 75 yards out. I tell Kevin to SLOWLY spin my way, suddenly he is on his knees looking past me, so much for SLOW (ah well if they didn't get excited what fun would it be!). I called the deer and Kevin says "he's looking right at us". At this point I should have just done nothing, we had his attention he was either going to come or not. I flipped my can call over and it made a funny noise and poof, no more deer.

About 4:30 me and Kevin hear "BOOM", look at each other and say "that was Chris". Mike calls on the radio and says they got one down. We head on over and find this:


Chris made about a 40 yd shot, dropped it right there. Mike said the barrel was shaking so much he figured "50-50 chance", Chris didn't stop shaking for along time, he dressed it and we dragged it together, it was GREAT!

RE: NH Youth Deer Hunting -- success!
 

You guys are so lucky !
Indiana doesn't have youth only hunts except for a single park reduction hunt , it seems that far too many Hoosier hunters feel that the kids shouldn't have any special days of their own . A recent poll at another Indiana specific site I visit showed that more than 40% felt that "special" hunts were not needed to promote youth hunting .

I totally disagree , what better way to get kids interested than having days when only they can hunt ? Sure , I can take time out from my own hunting to take my grandkids and other youths hunting , but that's only my kids . When I think about how the antis target school age kids with their poison it makes me wish that we had a day just for the kids , or even entire weekends , to counter this . Kids need to learn that hunting is not wrong , and they need to learn this at state level with opportunities just for them . The more of them we get into the woods the better the future of hunting will be .

RE: NH Youth Deer Hunting -- success!
 

Kevin I agree, my kids hunt during "normal" rifle season, but this youth weekend stuff they LOVE. Its for them, we can't carry a weapon and they feel great getting a weekend that's just thiers. They also can take either sex deer during this weekend where during "normal" gun season they have to follow the same rules we all do.

My boys look forward to these weekends alot more than normal deer season!